Limestone is a sedimentary rock consisting
of at least 50% calcite (calcium carbonate) with variable quantities
of other carbonates, such as dolomite, aragonite, or siderite. Dolomite
has been included with limestone here. Dolomite is a sedimentary
rock containing more than 50% carbonate, of which at least 25% is
dolomite (magnesium and calcium carbonate). Limestone and dolomite
are not very hard and can be scratched by a knife blade.
Production in Québec
In Québec, brown or grey limestone is extracted from the
Paleozoic sedimentary formations of the St. Lawrence Platform area
(Brisebois and Brun, 1994). Since the beginning
of 1980, most of the limestone produced for construction in Québec
has been quarried in Saint-Marc-des-Carrières, in the Capitale-Nationale
Region.
Brown limestone
Brown limestone is quarried in the Saint-Marc-des-Carrières
area of the Capitale-Nationale Region. The stone is a brownish-grey
fossil-bearing limestone belonging to the Deschambault Formation
(Trenton Group) (Clark and Globensky, 1975).
It is primarily used to produce dimension stone (cut-to-size,
slabs, and cut stone) and landscaping stone. |
Saint-Marc-des-Carrières Quarry (Saint-Marc
Limestone variety) operated by Graymont (Portneuf), in 2001. |
Grey limestone
Grey limestone is quarried:
- in the vicinity of Québec (Capitale-Nationale Region);
- in Chambord, Saint-Honoré, and Chicoutimi-Nord (Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
Region);
- in Joliette (Lanaudière Region).
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Thinly bedded limestone
(10 to 15 cm) is quarried to produce cobblestones at the Laplante
Quarry in Château-Richer. |
Blocks of limestone extracted
at the Marcellin Néron Quarry, operated by Granit Aurélien
Tremblay, in Chambord. |
It is mostly used for flagstones, paving stones, or retaining walls,
except for limestone from Chambord, which is used to produce dimension
stone (cut-to-size panels, slabs, and cut stone).
Dolomite
Dolomite with a brown patina belonging to the White
Brook Formation of the Oak Hill Group is quarried for landscaping
rock to the northwest of Saint-Ferdinand in the Centre-du-Québec
region. South of Laterrière, in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
Region, blocks of stromatolitic dolomite are sporadically quarried
to serve as landscaping stone.
Varieties of limestone
Grey limestone
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Yellow limestone
Joliette
– Yellow
Brown limestone or dolomite
Fact
sheets concerning active limestone and dolomite quarries in Québec
(available in French)
References
Report
by Brisebois and Brun (available in French)
Brisebois and Brun (1994, p. 97), quoting Stockwell, subdivided
Québec’s Paleozoic rocks into two geological provinces:
“…the slightly deformed layers on the margin of the
Canadian Shield are assigned to the St. Lawrence Platform, while
the folded and faulted layers, southeast of the Platform, are part
of the Appalachian Orogen.”
Report
by Clark and Globensky
Clark and Globensky (1975, p. 145) described the
rock quarried at Saint-Marc-des-Carrières: "The rock
quarried is restricted to the upper most quarter or at most, third,
of the Deschambault Formation, which is here a medium to light gray,
obviously crystalline rock with a slight brownish tint. In most quarries,
beds up to 9 inches thick are common, and can be easily worked,
and exceptionally a 4-foot bed can be obtained."
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